Federal Register / Vol. 71, No.
161 / Monday, August 21, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
TABLE 10—2006 AND 2007 BERING SEA SUBAREA INSHORE COOPERATIVE ALLOCATIONS
Cooperative name and member vessels
Akutan Catcher Vessel Association
Arctic Enterprise Association
Northern Victor Fleet Cooperative
Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative
Unalaska Cooperative
UniSea Fleet Cooperative
Westward Fleet Cooperative
Open access AFA vessels
Total inshore allocation
1Accordingto regulations at § 679.62(e)(1), the individual catch history for each vessel is equal to the vessel’s best 2 of 3 years inshore pollock
landings from 1995 through 1997 and includes landings to catcher/processors for vessels that made 500 or more mt of landings to catcher/proc-
essors from 1995 through 1997.≤
Classification
This action responds to the best
available information recently obtained
from the fishery. The Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA
(AA), finds good cause to waive the
requirement to provide prior notice and
opportunity for public comment
pursuant to the authority set forth at 5
U.S.C. 553(b)(B) as such requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest. This requirement is
impracticable and contrary to the public
interest as it would prevent NMFS from
responding to the most recent fisheries
data in a timely fashion and would
delay the reallocation of Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands pollock. Since the
pollock fishery is currently open, it is
important to immediately inform the
industry as to the final Bering Sea
subarea pollock allocations. Immediate
notification is necessary to allow for the
orderly conduct and efficient operation
of this fishery; allow the industry to
plan for the fishing season and avoid
potential disruption to the fishing fleet
as well as processors; and provide
opportunity to harvest increased B
season pollock allocations while value
is optimum.
The AA also finds good cause to
waive the 30-day delay in the effective
date of this action under 5 U.S.C.
553(d)(3). This finding is based upon
the reasons provided above for waiver of
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prior notice and opportunity for public
comment.
This action is required by § 679.20
and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
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48485
[Amounts are in metric tons]
Sum of mem- Percentage of
ber vessel’s
inshore sector
official catch
histories1 (mt)
875,572
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 15, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 06–7052 Filed 8–16–06; 2:14 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 060216045–6045–01; I.D.
081406C]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Atka Mackerel in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closures and
openings.
SUMMARY: NMFS is prohibiting directed
fishing for Atka mackerel with gears
other than jig gear in the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
subarea of the Bering Sea and Aleutian
Islands management area (BSAI). This
action is necessary to prevent exceeding
the 2006 total allowable catch (TAC) of
Atka mackerel in these areas. NMFS is
also announcing the opening and
closing dates of the first and second
PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\21AUR1.SGM
2006 Annual 2007 Annual
cooperative cooperative
allocation allocation (mt) allocation (mt)
31.145 204830 203,186
1.146 7,535 7,476
8.412 55,326 54,879
2.876 18,916 18,763
12.191 80,173 79,533
25.324 166,549 165,211
18.906 124,336 123,340
0 0 0
100 657,666 652,388
directed fisheries within the harvest
limit area (HLA) in Statistical Areas 542
and 543. These actions are necessary to
prevent exceeding the HLA limits
established for the Central (area 542)
and Western (area 543) Aleutian
Districts pursuant to the 2006 Atka
mackerel TAC.
DATES: The effective dates are provided
in Table 1 under the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this temporary
action.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jennifer Hogan, 907–586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NMFS
manages the groundfish fishery in the
BSAI exclusive economic zone
according to the Fishery Management
Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area
(FMP) prepared by the North Pacific
Fishery Management Council under
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act. Regulations governing fishing by
U.S. vessels in accordance with the FMP
appear at subpart H of 50 CFR part 600
and 50 CFR part 679.
The 2006 TAC of Atka mackerel
specified for other gear in the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
subarea was established as 6,868 metric
tons (mt) by the 2006 and 2007 final
harvest specifications for groundfish in
the BSAI (71 FR 10899, March 3, 2006).
See § 679.20(a)(8)(ii) and (c)(3)(iii).
In accordance with § 679.20(d)(1)(i)
and (d)(1)(ii)(B), the Acting
Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS
(Regional Administrator), has
determined that 500 mt of the 2006 Atka
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 48486 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 161 / Monday, August 21, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
mackerel TAC for other gear in the
Eastern Aleutian District and the Bering
Sea subarea will be necessary as
incidental catch to support other
anticipated groundfish fisheries.
Therefore, the Regional Administrator is
establishing a directed fishing
allowance of 6,368 mt. In accordance
with § 679.20(d)(1)(iii), the Regional
Administrator finds that this directed
fishing allowance has been reached.
Consequently, NMFS is prohibiting
Action
Closing Atka Mackerel with gears
other than jiggear
Opening the first directed fishery
in the HLA
Opening the second directed fish-
ery in the HLA
1Alaska local time≤
In accordance with § 679.20(a)(8)(iii),
vessels using trawl gear for directed
fishing for Atka mackerel have
previously registered with NMFS to fish
in the HLA fisheries in areas 542 and/
or 543. NMFS has randomly assigned
each vessel to the directed fishery or
fisheries for which they have registered.
NMFS has notified each vessel owner as
to which fishery each vessel has been
assigned by NMFS (71 FR 46409,
August 14, 2006).
In accordance with
§ 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1), the HLA limits of
the B season allowance of the 2006
TACs in areas 542 and 543 are 11,100
mt and 4,301 mt, respectively. Based on
those limits and the proportion of the
number of vessels in each fishery
compared to the total number of vessels
participating in the HLA directed
fishery for area 542 or 543, the harvest
limit for each HLA directed fishery in
areas 542 and 543 are as follows: for the
first directed fishery in area 542, 5,550
mt; for the first directed fishery in area
543, 2,151 mt; for the second directed
fishery in area 542, 5,550 mt; and for the
second directed fishery in area 543,
2,150 mt. In accordance with
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VerDate Aug<31>2005 15:07 Aug 18, 2006 Jkt 208001
directed fishing for Atka mackerel by
vessels using other gear in the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
subarea.
In accordance with
§ 679.20(a)(8)(iii)(C), the Regional
Administrator is opening the first
directed fisheries for Atka mackerel
within the HLA in areas 542 and 543,
48 hours after the closure of the Eastern
Aleutian District and the Bering Sea
subarea Atka mackerel directed fishery.
TABLE 1. EFFECTIVE DATES AND TIMES
Area
Eastern Aleutian District and the 1200 hrs, September 2, 2006
Bering Sea subarea
542 1200 hrs, September 4, 2006
543 1200 hrs, September 4, 2006
542 1200 hrs, September 13, 2006
543 1200 hrs, September 13, 2006
§ 679.20(a)(8)(iii)(E), the Regional
Administrator has establish the closure
dates of the Atka mackerel directed
fisheries in the HLA for areas 542 and
543 based on the amount of the harvest
limit and the estimated fishing capacity
of the vessels assigned to the respective
fisheries. Consequently, NMFS is
prohibiting directed fishing for Atka
mackerel in the HLA of areas 542 and
543 in accordance with the dates and
times listed in Table 1 of this notice.
Classification
This action responds to the best
available information recently obtained
from the fishery. The Assistant
Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA,
(AA) finds good cause to waive the
requirement to provide prior notice and
opportunity for public comment
pursuant to the authority set forth at 5
U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 50 CFR
679.20(b)(3)(iii)(A) as such a
requirement is impracticable and
contrary to the public interest. This
requirement is impracticable and
contrary to the public interest as it
would prevent NMFS from responding
to the most recent fisheries data in a
PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700
The Regional Administrator has
established the opening date for the
second HLA directed fisheries as 48
hours after the last closure of the first
HLA fisheries in either area 542 or 543.
Consequently, NMFS is opening and
closing directed fishing for Atka
mackerel in the HLA of areas 542 and
543 in accordance with the periods
listed under Table 1 of this notice.
Effective Date1
From To
2400 hrs, December 31, 2006
1200 hrs, September 11, 2006
1200 hrs, September 11, 2006
1200 hrs, September 20, 2006
1200 hrs, September 20, 2006
timely fashion and would delay the
closure of the Atka mackerel fishery in
the Eastern Aleutian District and the
Bering Sea subarea and the opening and
closing of the fisheries for the HLA
limits established for area 542 and area
543 pursuant to the 2006 Atka mackerel
TAC. NMFS was unable to publish a
notice providing time for public
comment because the most recent,
relevant data only became available as
of August 14, 2006. The AA also finds
good cause to waive the 30-day delay in
the effective date of this action under 5
U.S.C. 553(d)(3). This finding is based
upon the reasons provided above for
waiver of prior notice and opportunity
for public comment.
This action is required by § 679.20
and is exempt from review under
Executive Order 12866.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 15, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6–13790 Filed 8–18–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
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